Apparatus for applying flanged closures



July 27, 1943. c. B. TERRY APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLANGED CLOSURES FiledApril 28, 1941 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. CL IFFORD B. FERRY.

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- July 27, 1943. c, B, TERRY APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLANGED CLQSURES 6Sheets-Sheet 2 ill @R w m m M/ 5 D RM 0 F m L "C July 27, 1943. c, B,TERRY APPARATUS FOR APPLYiNG FLANGED CLOSURES Filed April 28, 1941 6Shets-Sheet s To VACUUM PUMP INVENTOR. CLIFFORD B. TERRK BY 7%; cm, W

J ATTORNEYS July 27, 1943. c. B. TERRY APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLANGEDCLOSURES 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 28, 1941 Q INVENTOR. C L IFFO/PDE. TERRY.

14 ATTORNEYS Q. B. TERRY APPARATUS FOR AEPLYING FLANGED GLQSURES 1941 6Sheets-Sheet 6 Filed April 28 INVENTOR.

0 f3. YERR'K CL/F =5. A TORNEYS Patented July 27, 1943 2,325,557 FORAPPLYI APPARATUS CLOSURES FLANGED Clifford B. TerrfiFhishing, N, Y.,assign orto Lily- Tulip Cup Corporation porationof Delaware New York, N Y.,a cor;-

Application April 28, 1941, Serial No. 396,702

' 3 Claims. (01. 226-30) This invention relates to 'machines forapplying caps, such as closure or cover elements, to receptacles. lheinvention is more especially in tended for applying flanged paper capsto interfitting receptacles; and the inventionhas been successfullyincorporated in machines for filling and packaging .edibles such asice-cream in paper containers.

Machines are well known in the art for filling containers, such as paperreceptacles, wherein the containers are fed past a filling station,filled and thereafter capped; the caps or closure memers beingsuccessively fed to the capping station from the magazine in which thecaps are stacked. Devices have been provided for feeding cardboard disccaps or similarflangeless caps in conjunction with such machines and thelike; one such device being disclosed in Henry Blann application, SerialNo. 326,003, filed March 26, 1940. However, it has been found that thesepreviously known devices are entirely unsuited for feeding flanged caps.For example with flanged caps in stack formation it is practicallyimpossible to prevent the flange of a superi n posed cap frominterfering with the transverse feed of a lower cap upon which it rests.More over, where the flanged caps are made of relatively thin materialand are subject to Warpage prior to application on the supporting lip ofa receptacle, such warp'age increases the difiicult-y of feeding andapplying such caps by a machine; especiallywhere the caps are of thesnap-on type. Such flanged snap-on'caps,*and interfittinreceptacles areexemplified in James D. Reifsnyder Patent No. 2,233,489, dated March 4,1941. i

An object of this invention is to provide 'a feeding mechanism forpositively and accurately feed; .ing individual caps successively from amagazine or holder in which a plurality of caps are stored; and moreespecially for such a device which'iS suited for feeding flanged papercaps ofthe char-' acter described.

Another object of the invention is to provide a capping mechanismsuitable for individually successively feeding flanged paper caps from amagazine containing a plurality of said caps into a cappinghead and forholding said caps in flat position within said are warped. i Theinvention consists in the novel features of head, even when saidcapsconstruction, arrangement, and combination of parts. embodied, by wayof'example, in the apparatus hereinafter described as illustrating apresent preferred form of the invention, and the invention will be moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will more fully appearfrom the following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings which show, by way of example, the present preferred embodimentof the invention. i

Referring to the accompanying drawings in which the 'samereferencecharacters indicate the same parts in th various views? Fig. 1 is a planview of an embodiment of the invention in the form of a machine forpackaging ice-cream inpaper containers; certain parts relating to theice-cream filling'rnechanism being omitted as forming no part of thisinvention and as well known to those skilled in theart.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, showing further detailsof certain parts illustrated in Fig. 1. v

Fig. 3 is a-detailed sectional view of the lower part ofthe capping headillustratedin Fig. 1 and showing a cap in position within said head.

Fig, 4 is an end'view of the device illustrated inFig. 1, as viewedfrom'the right-hand portion of said f gure, and showing certain of theparts in section.

Fig. 5 is a partial diagrammatic View in elevation showing the suctionsystem.

Fig. 6 is a plan view partly in section, taken approximately along theplane 66 of Fig. 4, and illustrating the cap-feeding mechanism inposition to start feeding a cap transversely to- Ward the capping head.

Fig. 7 is a similar view showing the feeding mechanism "in the positionwhere the cap has just been fed into the capping head.

Fig.8 is a plan view of a detail of the transverse feeding mechanisinj Ir a Fig. 9 if a vertical cross section view taken at 9-9 of Fig. 6 andshowing the corresponding position of the mechanism after the cap hasbeen fed downwardly into position to be fed transversely. l

Fig. 10 is a view similar to Fig. 9 and taken at ll'l0 of Fig. 7,showing the corresponding position of the mechanism for feeding the capdownwardly into position before the commencement of such downward feed.

Figs. 11 and 11a show further details in the cycle ofoperation ofcertain parts illustrated in Figs. 6, 7, 9 and 10 for inhibiting thedownward feed of the caps at such time'as a cap remains in the cappinghead.

Figs. 12, 13 and 14 are respectively plan, side- General structureReferring more particularly to Fig. 1, the main frame of the machinecomprises a pedestal or vertical frame member I to which is secured atable portion 2 on which the containers to be filled, such as 3, aresupported. A suitable device for supplying measured quantities oficecream (not shown) is positioned with a downwardly extending outlet inaxial alignment with the filling station designated A and suitablestops, such as 4, are provided for insuring alignment of the receptacle3 at station A and similar stops 4 are provided for preventing thepreceding receptacle from moving into capping position until the propertime; said stops being movable downwardly to permit the forward movementof the receptacle on the table 3 toward the capping head positionatstation B in timed relation to the capping operation. After thereceptacle has been capped at station B, it is discharged at station toa suitable shelf or conveying means (not shown). A plurality of caps arearranged in stack formation at station D from where they areindividually successively fed downwardly and thence transversely to thecapping head at station B, in a manner to be more particularly pointedout following.

Power is delivered to the machine from a suitable source by a belt 5engaging a pulley 6 secured to the outer end of a drive shaft 1 suitablyjournalled in the frame I, and this shaft is geared to a transverseshaft 8 (Fig. 4) by means of a pair of worm wheels 9. The shaft 8 issuitably journalled in the frame I and at its forward end (Fig; 4) -is.in driving engagement through a pair of bevelled gears ill with one endof a shaft I! (Fig. 2) whose other end, through a pair of bevelledgearsI2, drives a shaft 13 to the end of which (Fig. 1) is secured a pulleyl4 around which passes conveyor belts I5, which are preferably in theform of resilient spring belts; and these spring belts extend slightlyabove the top of the table 2 (Fig. 4) and serve to move the containers 3in the manner previously described. The containers are guided in theirmovement along the table 2 by means of rails Iii-IT; and when thecontainers are stopped by the pins 4 or 4' the conveyor members [5 slidebeneath the containers.

Positioned as an insert in the table 2 (Figs. 4 and 1) and disposedatstation B, is a vertically movable table segmentql8 mounted on avertically reciprocable plunger H! to which motion is imparted from thedrive shaft 1; so that the table portion is is moved upwardly toward acapping.

head 28 which is supported forlimited vertical movement in a journalledarm 2] rigidly attached to the machine frame. The table portion I8 isprovided with slots l5 to receive the belts 15 as the portion i8moves'upwardly. Suitable stop pins I 8' pass through the table portionl8 and are movable upwardly in timed relation to hold thejreceptacle inregister with the head said stops being movable downwardly to permit thedischarge of the capped container. The capping head and movable tableportion 18 are in axial alignment at station B and the relative verticalon the outer end of a slide bar 24 suitably journalled for reciprocationin the frame l and whose inner end is provided with a pin 25 which is indriving engagement in a cooperating bifurcation provided in the rear endof an arm 25 pivotally journalled about a fulcrum bolt 21 supported onthe frame bracket 28 rigidly secured to the frame I. It will thereforebe seen that as the shaft 8 is rotated this rotary motion is transformedto a reciprocating motion imparted to the forward end of the arm 28 andthis reciprocating motion effects two separate but related operations.(1) to withdraw respec tive caps from the magazine at station D and (2)to feed said caps from station D into the capping head 23. 'Thewithdrawing feed will firstbe described.

Withdrawal of caps from stack Referring more particularly to Figs. 1, 2and 4; an arm 29 is pivotally supported at its rear end by a stud 30carried on an extension 3| rigidly secured to the frame bracket 28. Thearm 29 is urged upwardly by means of a compression spring 32 (Figs. 12,13 and 14) interposed between the lower side of the arm and the lowerextremity of a C-bracket 33 carried by the support 3|; the spring beingcentered by studs 34-35 respectively secured to the arm and bracket, andthe upper limit of movement of the arm 29 being adjustably determined bymeans of the stop 36 which is also carried by the bracket 33. A camspacing block 31 is rigidly secured to the underside of the arm 29 andcarries spaced inwardly therefrom a cam 38, the upper surface of whichis in the horizontal arcuate path of travel of a cooperating cam roller39 which is pivotally mounted on the forward end of the arm 26,previously described. Accordingly, when the arm 26 moves in ananti-clockwise direction (as viewed from above) the cam roller 39engages the cam 38 to move the same downwardly to thereby swing the arm29 downwardly against the force of the compression spring 32 (Figs. 13and 14). The free end of the arm 29 carries a. tubular arm 40 rigidlysecured thereto and having an upwardly extending end to which is secureda rubber suction cup 4!. The other end of the tube 49 is connected by aflexible tube 42 to a suction line 43 (Fig. 5) in communication througha valve 44 with a source of suction such as a pump 45; the valve 44being opened and closed by a link 46 connecting the valve stem tothereciprocating arm 28 and the parts being so constructed and arrangedthat as the. sucker 4| moves into engagement with the underside of a capsuch as 4'! (Fig. 16) suction is exerted to cause the cap to adhere tothe sucker 4| and upon downward movement of the arm 29 the cap is moveddownwardly from a stack of caps designated as 48. The stack of caps 48is held in a suitable magazine 49 (Fig. 2) providing yieldable meanssuch as the spring fingers 5!! for supporting the stack and permittingindividual caps to be successively withdrawn through said fingers 53upon the downward movement of the sucker 4 I.

Transverse feed can H Referring more particularly tooFigs. land 2;-

it will be seen that themagazine His-supported (Fig. 8) mounted in agroove in the frame portion 3| and provided with a recess 54 receivingadjustable nuts 55 on the rearwardly extended threaded end of the pusher5!. The slide 53' is pivotally connected to the reciprocating arm 26 bymeans of a rod link 56 and associated studs. It will therefore be seenthat as the arm 26 moves in a clockwise direction motion is imparted tothe pusher fingers 52, causing them'to engage and feed forward the capthen in position to be thus fed. The forward ends of the pusher fingersare undercut to avoid lifting the cap. The timing of the foregoingmechanism is such that as the pusher 5i (Figs. 9 and 10)"is feeding thecap 41 toward the capping head 2H, and after the said cap has been fedbeyond the position of the sucker M, the sucker commences its upwardmovement to engage the lowermost cap then remaining in the stack (Fig.10 andas the pusher Fig. 5. In the present embodiment this vacuum is ofthe order of 22 inches of mercury and issufiicient to cause the cap tolie flatly against the upper face of the chamber58, thereby causing thecap to be accurately positioned within the head eventhough the cap bewarped. This vacuum line performs the additional function of holding thecap snugly up against the lower face of the head 29 as it is being fedinto position within'the head'and thereby prevents the forward edge ofthe cap from dropping down and assures the engagement of the cap by thefingers 59-66. In order to permit thercap to be discharged under the Iweight of thefilled receptacle to which it has 5! moves rearwardlyfrom'the position shown in.

Fig. 10 the sucker M is moved downwardly to place a capin'the positionillustrated in Fig. 9

' ready to be fed forward on the succeeding feed stroke of the pusher.5|. Itis noted at this point that the return or idle stroke of thesucker 4| into engagement with the lowermostcap of the stack is" broughtabout by the compression .spring 32 (Fig. 12) so. that slight deviationsin the horizontal plane of the bottommost cap of the stack do notprevent. the suction engagement between the sucker and the cap; andlikewise irregularities in the position of the top of the cap" (such asresult from warpage of. the. cap) will not detrimentally affect theproper engagement of the cap by the sucker. Likewise, these slightvariations will not affect the feeding stroke of the sucker 4i since'thecam plate arrangement permits these variations and produces a finallower position of the sucker below the horizontal position at which thecap 4'! comes to rest at the end of its down stroke.

As the cap- 5'! is fed forward it passes into and through an opening orgate 5'l'provided in the capping head 29 and in communication with theset from the diameter of the cap and therefore serve to center'the capin the chamber 58 and (2) they serve to prevent the cap from falling outof the head under the conditions to be hereinafter described' As the capis fed into the chamber 58 it comes under the influence of a ratherstrong suctionexertedwithin the chamber through an axial bore Elwhich isconnected to acsuitable source of vacuum in the manner illustrated inoppositely been applied, the suction is interrupted by means of'asuitable valve 63'(Fig. 5) controlled by the valve arm 64 whose free endcarries a cam roller sfiengaging a cam 56 driven by the shaft 8' (Fig.2), and provision is made to vent theline upon the raising of the head29, so as to' immediately break the suction line and relieve the headfrom suction. Venting is accomplished by a relief hole 20 (Fig. 4)provided in the stem of head 20 and extending radially-from the bore 62outwardly through the stern wall in vertical spaced alignment with acooperating hole 2| through the journal bracket 2|, Upon upward movementof the head 20 the holes 20'-2l come into register, thereby immediatelybreaking the vacuum.- If for any reason the receptacle is not suppliedtoa cap positioned in the head 20, then'the spring fingers 59-4) exertsufficient force on the cap to prevent it from falling out; but thesefingers do not exert a suf icient force to hold a cap against the weightof a'filled receptacle to which the cap has been applied.

I inhibiting cap feed 'The following provision is utilized to preventthe cap-feeding mechanism from feeding a cap to the capping head when apreviously fed cap still remains in said head. A cap supporting pair ofspaced-apart cam plates 61 (Figs. 6 and 9) are" ,theslot 69 so that asthe cam plates are moved forward they are lifted to the point-of dwellon the cam portions 18 and are held in thisposition until displaced; thecam plates 6'5 being given this forward motion upon the forward stroke.ofthe pusher slide 53, whose forward end. engages the cross pin 68(Fig. 7). In the raised position these connected plates fill provide apositive support and inhibit the feeding of. caps transversely from thestack (Fig. 11) because when the support is in its upper position thecap is prevented from any transverse displacement from the stack by thewall of the magazine 49. As the receptacle 3 is moved upwardly intoengagement with the cap carried in the head 26, the'lirnited movementupwardly of the head 20 causes the bevel faces 12 (Figs ll and 6) toengage the corresponding bevel noses on the plates 51 which raises theplates and disengages them from the pins H against which the camportions Hi ride to return the.

plates 6! to their rearwardly and downwardly inactive positions, asillustrated in Fig. 11a, so that the next succeeding cap may be fed tothe capping? it to belifted, the plates 61; remain in thepositionindicated in Fig. 11.

I Operation I Referring to Fig- 1; after the container 3 has been filledat station A the stop pins 4 move downwardly and the spring belts I5convey the receptacle toward station B; but before it reaches station Bthe succeeding container has arrived at station A and the pins 4 and 4'again move upwardly, the pins 4 stopping the movement of the filledcontainer until the pins 4 are next moved downwardly to permit thecontainer to be fed to static-n B where it comes into engagement withthe pins l8 (Fig. 4) which serve to hold it in axial alignment with thecapping head 20. During this movement of the container to the cappingstation the cap has been finally inserted into the capping head in themanner to be more particularly described following.

Commencing with the sucker 4! in the position I indicated in Fig. 10;the sucker has come into operative engagement with the cap 3? and as thearm 26 rotates in an anti-clockwise direction the roller 39 engages thecam 38 and positively moves the sucker downwardly (Fig. 5), during whichtime the valve 44 is open. Upon continued downward movement of thesucker 4! (Figs. 12 and 13) the cap is seated on the cam plates 6i andthe sucker continues to move downwardly withdrawing from engagement withthe ,cap.

Preferably, the suction to the sucker 4! is inter' rupted by the closingof the valve immediately after the cap has been seated on itssupport. Atthe time that the cap 41 is seated on its support the pusher bar fingers52 are spaced somewhat rearwardly of the edgeof the cap and after thecap has been seated on its support the fingers 52 move forward intofeeding'engagement as shown in Fig. 13. The arm 26 is now moving in aclockwise direction and the fingers push the cap from the. positionindicated in Fig. 9 through the scribed; and the weightof the filled andcapped (Fig. 3) outwardly permitting the filled container to bedeposited upon 'thespring belts I5 gate 5'! into the chamber 58, asshown in Fig. 10

(see also Fig. 3); suction through the bore 62 then being exerted toseat the cap in levelalignment within the capping head 29. During theforward movement of the transverse feeding fingers 52 the sucker 4| isbeing moved upwardly under the influence of the compression spring 32,as the rol1er'39 (Figs. 13-17) passes off the cam 38, and the suckerpasses between the bifurcations 52, thereby permitting 1e spring 32toresiliently but firmly engage the sucker M with the cap il-the upwardlimit of move- 'ment being determined by a suitable adjustment of thestop 35.

' During the active or feeding movementof the fingers 52 the pusherslide 53 (see also Fig. '7)

has moved the plates 6? forward to the position indicated in Figs. 10and 11. Upon the commencement of the idle or return stroke of thefingers 52 the table portion i8 (Fig. 4) is moved upwardly so as tobring the upper lip of the receptacle 3' into interfitting engagementwith the cap 4'! then positioned in the capping head 28.

(Fig. 4). 'At this time the table portion it has been lowered and thepins i8 have been moved below the conveyor springs l5, thus permittingthe filled container to be discharged (Fig. 1) over the pulley l 4. I

From the foregoing it will be seen that if no container is fed to thecapping station the capping head is not raised and thereafter the plates67 (Figs. 11 and 11a) remain in the upper or active position and"thereby inhibit. the feeding of successive caps until the cappinghead 2%has been raised. It will be understood that the suction supplied to thesucker 4! is not sufficiently great to damage either the sucker or thecap and that the positive downward movement of the sucker 41 by the cam38 (Figs. 12 and 13) is sufficient to disengage the sucker from the cap,whether the cap be supported on the cam plates Bl in raised position, asshown in Fig. 11, or in lowered position, as shown in Fig. 9. It will beunderstood that as long as the cam plates are in raised position (Fig.11) the sucker merely engages and disengages the same cap 4?; whereas aslong as the head 26 is successively raised during each cycle ofoperation the sucker engages the respectively successive caps towithdraw them from the stack and into the transverse feeding positionfor successive movement into the feeding head 20;

Although the invention is especially intended for handling'fiangedclosure caps of the character described, and has proven to be ideallysuited for this purpose; it is also adapted for handling disc caps andthe like.

Having thus described my invention with particularity with reference toits presently preferred form, it will be obvious to those skilled in theart, after understanding my invention, that other changes andmodifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit andscope of my invention, and I aim in the appended claims to cover suchchanges and modifications as are within the scope of the invention.

.What is claimed is: I

1. In a capping device for applying circular caps to receptacles, thecombination of a capping head provided with a face against which saidcap is to be seated and a downwardly extending flange for limiting theforward movement of a cap fed into said head, resilient fingers disposedbelow said face and extending inwardly from respectively oppositeperipheral sides of said head relative to the direction of said movementfor supporting a cap on said head, means for feeding a cap forwardlyagainst said flange andbetween said' fingers into position on said head,suction means for .urging said cap vertically against said face, saidresilient fingers being positioned rearwardly from the position on saidhead corresponding to the diameter of said cap in order to securelycenter the cap laterally on the head,

the cap surface as the cap is fed forward, said feeding means andresilient fingers and suction means being so constructed and arrangedthat the suction'means supports the forward portion of said cap duringthe forward feeding movement 2' thereof into position on said head andassures the supporting engagement resilient fingers.

2. In a capping device for applying circular caps to receptacles, thecombination of a capping head provided with a face against which saidcap is to be seated and a downwardly extendin flange for limiting theforward movement of a cap fed into said head, resilient fingers disposedof said cap by said below said face and extending inwardly from 3. In acapping device for applying circular caps to receptacles, thecombination of a capping head having a face against which said cap is tobe seated and a downwardly extending flange for limiting the forwardmovement of said cap as it is fed into said head, said head beingprovided with suction means centrally located therein and terminatingadjacent the face of said head, means for feeding a cap forwardlyagainst said flange and contiguous the face of said head within the zoneof action of said suction means,

said suction means being confined toa relatively small area of said faceto insure a vacuum seal upon a relatively small area of the cap surfaceas said cap is fed forward, said feeding means and suction means beingso constructed and arranged that'the said suction means supports theforward portion of said cap during the forward feeding movement thereofinto position on said head.

CLIFFORD B. TERRY.

